The hospital lacked staff to transport the patient on a stretcher, which forced an elderly woman, around 70 years old, to take charge of the stretcher and start pulling it herself. Her relatives, who needed to be taken for treatment, were on the stretcher. This video, shot at the Rajkot Civil Hospital in Gujarat, went viral, raising questions from the public.
A natural question arises: why did she have to overcome difficulties on her own at such an age, when she might need assistance, just to get a sick family member to treatment? After this incident became public, the hospital administration announced an investigation and notified the relevant agency.
The Rajkot Civil Hospital is considered one of the major hospitals in the Surat region and attracts patients hoping for treatment, especially families who cannot afford expensive private clinics, as state institutions are a significant support. However, what is shown in the viral video calls this system into question: an elderly woman is depicted pulling a stretcher across the hospital grounds, carrying her relative who needs medical care.
Imagine the situation: the patient's condition worsens, the family is already under stress, and in such circumstances, the responsibility for moving the patient within the hospital is placed on an elderly person. This only exacerbates the problems. The video captures a 70-year-old woman pulling a stretcher. Nevertheless, details about the exact circumstances at that moment, whether staff were present, or why the woman had to pull the stretcher alone, have not yet been disclosed.
After the video spread widely, M.S. Roy, an accountant at the Rajkot Civil Hospital, commented on the situation. He called the incident regrettable and stated that an investigation was underway. According to the administration, the relevant agency received official notification. The need to develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to prevent similar incidents in the future was also voiced. The administration emphasized that compliance with rules regarding providing personnel for transporting patients on stretchers would be strictly monitored so that patients and their relatives do not face similar difficulties, thereby acknowledging the seriousness of the situation.
This entire situation raises several questions concerning the hospital system itself: were there truly no staff available to move the stretcher at that time? Did the relevant agency fulfill its duties properly? Or was there some unforeseen circumstance whose information has not yet become public? The answers to these questions are currently unknown, although the administration has announced the start of an inquiry. One thing is clear: having stretchers in a hospital and the ability to receive help when needed are two different things; convenience only makes sense when it benefits the patient.